ra
the large wooden board in th
wood displayed the final s
owd, my eyes scanning the bla
n. My scores in the physical trials were barely passing-I had pushed my body far past its limits, collapsing twic
t, a quiet pride in the skills I had ble
one cottage, pushing the door o
ting at the table, already loo
e not filled wi
face twisted in anger, and slamme
did you steal these hunti
eyes cold. "Seducing a proctor
his chair, a nasty smi
ver the hallucinogenic herbs,
l blows, turning my quiet pride
d, accepted their insults, and played
mething insid
ted from my body, making the temp
table, leaning forward until I
he glass in the windowpanes rattling in their frames.
slack look of disbelief, as if the furniture itself
wait for h
open so hard it cracked against the sto
e cottage window. His expression, which had been one of mild curiosity about my sc
e confused stares of the pack members, and plu
gs shook, finally collapsing against
control the strange, freezing energy t
len
floor, its hind leg caught in a rusted iron trap-the kind left by human poachers. Beside it, half-buried in the mud, was a leather herb po
in the Blood Moon Pack-not even the seasoned hunters-knew h
at the proof of a skill I had never bothered
ra
und of heavy boots crushing
learing. Before following me, he had stepped inside the cottage, h
ve of his pheromones-the scent of rain and dark earth washing over me,
ill, and I hated him for having
he said, his voice carefully neutral. "And that if I heard them questio
d on the dirt, offe
er, his boots sinki
riting on your blood pa
face a mask of stone. "
the dark canopy of the trees,
to our promise. Th
go to the Border Guard to escape
keeping my voice
id. "So we can
unmistakable sign of his relief. He thought his d
toward the village, leavin
appear into the trees, swallowing
ade my
pact ceremony, I would al
ile I signed my soul away to the Wintermoon Pack,
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